Home Health or Hospice job?

[Vtachy1]

I have interviewed for 2 different jobs. PRN Home Health for a company that is expanding to my town, they say I'd make my own schedule and do my own Case Management. If I didn't want to take on a case I'd just say no. I've never done home health, so I just don't know! Learning all the Oasis stuff seems overwhelming!!!

I interviewed for a Hospice PRN job last week too. It is one weekend per month and you have to have 2 holidays per year. When they say one weekend per month, are they talking M-F constantly on call running like a mad woman until Monday morning? I do have another job that I love and I just want something to supplement my income, and Hospice is my dream. But my real dream is being a mom and wife. So even though Hospice is where my heart is, the other job seems more conducive to my other job (I work nights weekend, holidays but I work from home doing phone triage)

Which job would you choose? Or neither one? Which job is less demanding and stressful?

[klone, MSN, RN]

For the hospice position, I would ask if you are the only one who will be on call for that weekend you're working, and what is their average census. If it's a large agency, then you might be getting a LOT of phone calls, as well as the need to drive places throughout the weekend. Thankfully, many calls in hospice can be phone triaged. Weekend call generally means 5pm Friday through 8am Monday.

[Vtachy1]

I think their average census if 50 patients.

[klone, MSN, RN]

So if you are the only nurse on call that weekend, you can expect to be fairly busy, at least with phone calls.

[caliotter3]

I would go with the home health job because it seems like it lets you be in control of your schedule better.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

The problem with home health and hospice is that you really will have absolutely no idea of ANYTHING untill you start working. I think, you just have to throw the dart and see. Both can be great, and both can be absolutely undoable.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

"One weekend per month" coverage can mean either:

a. You are expected to perform any visits needed (and in some agencies also taking phone calls) from time of office closure on Friday through 8AM Monday

b. See scheduled clients on Saturday and Sunday within 8-12/hr time frame.

c. Expected to drive ANYWHERE within service territory when small office.

Since you say you do telephone triage on nights from home on weekends, do not see how you can pick up another position that would require you to be out of the home during same time interval...... especially if expectation that paperwork be completed and turned into the office within 24hrs visit.

[cathrn64]

In my experience, the hospice I worked for required us to go out if the pt wanted a visit. We were not allowed to do phone triage, if the pt wanted a visit. The pt would call and say "I don't think my oxygen is working" and I would have to go out. I also found that a lot of people died at night and if you were on-call you had to go make the visit, call the coroner, the funeral home and wait for them to come to the house. (just a little fyi about hospice)